


It was barely a stumble

by dahtwitchi



Series: Fix-it for Angst Week and related issues [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Police officer Madara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 23:24:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15651066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahtwitchi/pseuds/dahtwitchi
Summary: The tension is thick in the air as they stare at each other. Tobirama tense and fearing for their relationship. Madara struggling to make the decision to give it all up, once and for all.(Follows instantly on the short comic 'Falling back', which this was inspired by. Probably needed for decent context.)





	It was barely a stumble

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Falling back](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15478947) by [dahtwitchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahtwitchi/pseuds/dahtwitchi). 



Tobi bites his lip, this is too important. The silence stretches, his heart is beating so hard in his chest. He need Madara to listen to him, hear him out. The silence stretches even further. Every second is another where Mads will settle into the idea of Tobirama’s guilt. His throat isn’t cooperating, but he has to try. He does have truth on his side, but also his past, their past, against himself. He can only hope to be believed. 

"Mads-" 

"Tobi, enough is enough, I-" 

"Madara, please!” He barrels on. Ignores any interruptions. “Let me explain! I'm clean, I promise, take a piss sample, blood sample, whatever! Right now if you want!" 

He takes a step toward Madara as he runs his hands through his own hair, leaving him looking desperate and wild-eyed. Madara's face crumbles. Hope and disbelief is visibly warring in his face. Tobi has seen that struggle before. But this time is different. This time there is nothing to overlook or be disappointed by. If only Madara will believe him.

For a moment there is silence. Then Madara's face shift. Hesitant and guarded, but he finally truly looks at Tobi. Assessing. 

"Clean? Really? So if I escorted you to the clinic right away-"

"Yes. That. Let's do that. I haven't used, Mads. I'm... Keeping it there to, well, to _not_ take them." His sincerity is drowned out by his frantic tone, he knows. He had been as desperate to be believed in the past when covering lies, after all. Tobi comes to a stop half an arm’s length from Madara, teeth worrying at his lip. "I didn't want to keep them at home, I didn't want you to find them and... think..."

Madara blinks. And blinks again. Then he stands up abruptly, getting right into Tobi's face.

"What the FUCK Tobi!? And you thought your office was the place to keep it? What if someone else had found it? Just how fucking stupid can you be!?" Tobirama stares in bewilderment, hope mounting as Madara grabs his arm and hauls him along, grumbling all the way. "We have a lunch date at the fucking clinic, you completely brainless idiot. Then, whenever it's settled you are clean- and I hope to god it's true Tobi, I'm gonna watch you take that sample myself-"

"Really? That's kin-"

"-shut the hell up- then, when it's all settled we are going to have a long, long talk about your so-called intelligence and ideas about self reassurance. You absolute ass!"

Tobi just smiles as Madara goes on. He holds back a sigh of relief that Madara is willing to believe the best of him despite their past, as he is dragged down along the corridor to a slightly less fun lunch than he would have wished for. He will gladly go, though. Anything to prove Madara's trust about this. Anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Present tense was exhausting to write. But, it is another fix-it down.
> 
> Thank you betas Neutrons and Amihan :3


End file.
